User interfaces (UI) come in a numerous different forms, some good but many more bad. The look, feel and general usability of a UI is extremely important. A badly designed UI typically leaves a user with a poor lasting impression of the company with which the interface is associated. On the other hand, the more pleasant the experience the more likely a user's interaction's will be converted into positive actions such as continued use and buys.
The design of such interfaces is a difficult and time consuming process. Whilst developers will typically conduct a series of in-house tests prior to the release of their product, these are generally based upon contrived scenarios and are therefore highly artificial. UI designers have the very difficult challenge of catering for a cross-section of users with whom they will, in all likelihood, have had no previous contact.
One particular type of user interface which has come very much to the fore in recent years is the interface for accessing the World Wide Web (or web). The majority of companies conduct at least some of their business via the web. This may, for example, be using an online shop such as that promoted by both Sainsburys' and Tescos', or simply by displaying information about themselves and their wares. The look, feel and general usability of a company's website (site) is therefore also extremely important. A user who has trouble navigating and using a particular site is typically left with a poor lasting impression of the company associated with that site and is unlikely to buy from that company.
A user interface or website might be difficult to use for a number of different reasons. For example selectable elements (e.g. button hyperlinks) may be small. As another example, the hypertext links may be in a colour which is difficult to make out (e.g. yellow) and be positioned next to images with no function other than to make the site look attractive. Certain users may continually click on the picture rather than the link beside it because the visual cues are misleading to those users.
Speed-trap, a performance management company, have gone some way to solving the problem of website design. They market a product known as Prophet which can provide detailed information on a user's interaction with a website, including complete click-stream analysis; mouse trails; analysis of keystrokes etc. According to the disclosure of this product at “www.speed-trap.com”, it becomes clear by watching mouse trails when a customer is having difficulty in locating a required item, object or button.
Prophet is therefore an extremely valuable analysis tool which enables companies' to identify problems with a website such that the designers set to work improving a site's design and therefore the user's browsing experience.
However, not all users will experience the same problems with a site.
The two examples provided above are most likely to effect a particular type of user. For example, a user with co-ordination problems will potentially find the accurate location of buttons awkward. For a person with poor eyesight, the colour and size of links and their positioning is likely to be extremely important. A website not taking account of such considerations will typically therefore frustrate certain categories of users. On the other hand, able bodied users or other categories of user should have much less trouble with the navigation and use of the same sites. Prophet treats all users as anonymous and cannot identify users by such categories. As a result it is only able to cope with the all or nothing situation. If a minority of users are experiencing problems, then website designers will ignore these leaving disabled users frustrated.
Cookies provide the ability to recognise users as individuals. Upon visiting a site using cookies, a user is typically asked to submit some personal information about themselves (e.g. via a form). This information is sent to a server hosting the website (web server) and is packaged into a cookie (or text file). This is then downloaded to the user's computer and stored there for future use. The information stored is used when the user returns to the same site in order to provide a more personalised browsing experience. For example, the Sainsburys' site welcomes users by name (“Good morning Miss X”).
User's are however aware that they provided this information in the first place. The whole process is not a transparent one. There are some instances when a user will not appreciate being typecast. A user may feel discriminated against by having to inform an anonymous web server that they fit into a particular group of users and should therefore be treated differently to another group of users. One such categorisation is able-bodied versus disabled users. Many disabled users try to live as normal a life as possible and do not appreciate blatantly different treatment or discrimination.